by C. A. Wilke
“What about high-security networks, banks and such? How does it get in those?”
Dax smiled and put his hands behind his head. “Ahh... that’s the beauty of it. It’s what I call a smart-worm. This little beauty changes its signature to look like a simple transaction, a net cookie or whatever, so most networks are not a problem. But, for those that it still can’t get in? It sends back a request for assistance. I’ll hack through and let the little bugger in.”
“Good, kick it.”
He rolled his chair back and looked up at her. “Jil... I mean, Scarlett. You sure you want to do this?”
Scarlett leaned over, putting her face a couple inches from Dax’s. “This launches it?”
Dax’s eyes shifted from her face to her arm, then down to her finger hovering over the enter key. “Yes.”
She pushed the button.
Scarlett stood and headed for the door. “Thank you, Dax. I’ll be in touch.”
“Alright then.”
She left the apartment and slammed the door. A small part of her fumed that Dax questioned her resolve. How dare he? I mean, did he think I was hiring him to just pretend to do it?
Scarlett stormed down the hall. She ignored the door at the far end of the hall as it cracked open. She turned and bounded down the stairs.
At the ground floor, she shoved open the glass door to the building and stepped into the sunlight. The bright light made her stop and shield her eyes. By the time her eyes adjusted, two FBI agents stood in front of her.
“Shit.”
Her shoulders sagged. She focused on changing her mood as she looked the two men over. The man on her left held up his wallet with his FBI identification naming him as Agent Malory Barnes. His coat bulged from his gun holster. Scarlett glanced down to see another small bump from Barnes’s backup ankle holster.
The other man, Agent James Cortega according to the ID he held, was like a cat ready to pounce. The slightest wrong move from Scarlett, and she suspected he’d reach for his gun.
Agent Barnes looked her up and down. “Hello again.”
Scarlett rolled her eyes. “I didn’t touch him. He’s up there, alive and well.”
Both men stared at her for a moment. Agent Barnes opened his mouth to speak but couldn’t seem to find the words.
“Look, guys. I’m not after your witness and I don’t work for Zinchenko. Can I go now?”
Agent Barnes blinked. “Uh... no! I’ve got a few questions for you.
Scarlett shifted from one foot to the other and put a hand on her hip. “Fine.”
“Let’s start with who you are and how you know Mr. Lewis?”
Despite her irritation, she struggled not to laugh. “Mr. Lewis? Dax is an old college friend. He’s doing a little programming work for me.”
Cortega pulled out a small commpad. “Nice try. Daniel Lewis didn’t go to college.”
Scarlett’s amusement broke through. She chuckled. “That little punk. Yes, he did. He just didn’t finish. He probably went back and erased that he was ever there.”
Barnes rolled his eyes. “Where?”
“U.C.”
“Maybe, but that still doesn’t answer my question. Who are you? And let’s have some ID.”
She sighed and put her driver’s license in Cortega’s outstretched hand. “Alright. My name is Scarlett Angel. I’m a corporate security consultant. Mr. Lewis... is developing a prototype virus to test my client’s anti-intrusion systems.”
“And your client is?”
“I’d rather not say.”
Cortega swiped her card against his own commpad. Scarlett hoped the ID forger she’d hired was as good as he claimed.
The second agent held up his screen for Barnes to see. “Alright then. You seem to check out. Sorry for the intrusion.”
Cortega handed her back her ID.
“Nice to meet you gentlemen. Can I go now?” Scarlett tried to give a genuine smile. She doubted she was pulling it off.
Barnes held up his hand. “Uh, not just yet. You seem in an awful hurry.”
“I have a meeting on the other side of town.”
“With your client?”
Scarlett smiled. “Actually, no. I’m meeting a friend for coffee. Would you like to join us? She’s single and has a great personality.”
Barnes’s eyes narrowed. “Ah, no. No thank you. Just um, why all the games? And what made you mention Zinchenko?”
“It’s my business to know these things. At first, I didn’t know who you were. So I had to find out. You know, protect my asset and all.”
“Alright. I s’pose that’s good for now.” Agent Barnes held out his business card. “Call me if anything pops up you think we should know.”
Scarlett took the card handed the man her own. “Don’t worry, I will. Though, knowing what I know about Dax and Zinchenko, I don’t think they’ll be interacting very much any time soon.”
Cortega’s brow furrowed. “What makes you say that?”
“As I said…” She smiled. “It’s my job to know these things. Now, it was nice to meet you gentlemen, but I have to run. And please, you can call me if you have any more questions.”
She shook their hands and started down the sidewalk.
Barnes’s grip was firm and he looked into her eyes. “Don’t worry, we will.”
Scarlett turned and walked away.
* * *
Dax watched Scarlett disappear down the sidewalk. The two Feds headed back to their car. He sat back down at his computer and tapped a few keys. A window titled Frank Grendini appeared.
He browsed the collection of net links and image files, finally selecting a link. The link led to a Times article dated seven years ago. The headline read, “UDI Security Guard Sexual Assault Suit Starts Today.”
Scarlett was a very different person than her younger, more innocent persona as Jillian. Dax wasn’t sure exactly what happened to change her, and she was clearly not interested in sharing. The problem was, Dax didn’t like secrets, unless he was the one keeping them.
Chapter 34
Interrupted
There is a strange honor among people like me, people who do what I do. It’s kind of like honor among thieves, but with more sarcasm.
* * *
Scarlett felt at the tender spot behind her ear. The skin continued to tingle, even a few minutes after the incision had closed up. “I have to say, Dr. Smith, this knitting compound of yours is nothing short of a miracle. It’s been barely five minutes and the skin is completely healed.”
“Yes, the dermal bonding agent is quite impressive. Much faster than the foam we used on Mr. Smithson.” The doctor looked down as he arranged his equipment, revealing the balding crown on his head.
“So, how long until I can use it?”
“Oh, anytime.” He closed his bag and looked up at Scarlett. “The SubCutaneous Audio Transceiver should already be feeding off your own bioelectrical energy. Now, the range is not terribly far, only about a mile, but it can relay across net towers. So as long as you are in a somewhat urban area, you’ll be fine.”
“Really? How’s it work?”
“One touch turns it on. Once it’s on, tapping the skin will cycle through three commands. You can give voice commands to set frequency and even replay recorded conversations. One long touch terminates the call and puts it in standby mode.”
Scarlett touched the back of her ear. “Um, okay... Ah, here we are.” She called out a series of numbers.
A moment later she heard Dax’s voice.
“Hey, Scarlett. What’s up?”
She smiled. “Oh, nothing. Sorry. I misdialed.”
“Um, okay. Whatever.”
Scarlett tapped her ear again and she heard a small chirp signaling the end of the call.
Dr. Smith stood and smiled down at her. “So, I take it it works?”
“Like a charm.” She stood and walked him to the door. Scarlett pulled out her eCash card and transferred ten thousand credits to the doctor’s
account. “There you go, paid in full.”
The doctor smiled and shook her hand. “It was a pleasure working with you again, especially under better circumstances.” He turned and strolled out the door.
She reached for the handle when the doctor’s voice stopped her.
“Have you heard from him? The grapevine’s been pretty quiet about him for the last couple months.”
She just shook her head. Lingering thoughts about Neil crept out of the hidden recesses of her mind. The emotions were like a tidal wave she barely held in check. If she spoke, she knew her voice would crack.
“Well, I hope he’s okay. You call me if you have any problems or need anything else.”
Scarlett swallowed hard and steadied her voice. “I will.”
Dr. Smith turned and disappeared when Scarlett closed the door.
* * *
Scarlett stared into her latte. She sat at a table in the back corner in her favorite coffee shop. Jules had just finished her shift and sat across from her, still in her uniform.
“You’re not being very talkative.”
Scarlett shook her head at the sound of Jules’s voice. She looked up and gave a weak smile. “Hmm? Oh, sorry. It’s just... The time to do what I’ve been training for is almost here. Dax thinks he knows where the data is, he’s just getting confirmation.”
Jules’s eyes widened. She pushed some stray brown hair behind her ear. “Well that’s good, isn’t it? You’ll be finally able to move on, right?”
“Maybe.” Scarlett knew her monotone response would prompt more questions from Jules. Instead, Jules surprised her.
“But it’s not really what you’ve been training for, is it? Stealing some data? I mean, that’s just the job that came with the training.”
She looked up again. “Not really. No, you’re right. That’s not what I’m after, not in the end anyway. This won’t be over until Derrick is dead.”
Jules nodded.
Scarlett’s commpad chirped, signaling a call. She pressed the answer button. “Hey, Dax. What’s—”
“Get out now. Zinchenko’s coming for you. He’s got men, some real badasses and he’s on his way.” Dax’s words came so fast they were barely intelligible. His voice quivered with fear.
“Whoa, Dax. Take it easy. Slow down and tell me what’s going on. He doesn’t even know where I am.”
Jules’s face wrinkled in confusion.
Dax’s breath was labored. “No. He does. He forced Mickey to hack the security feed networks. He knows exactly where you are. He... He killed Janson.”
Scarlett’s jaw tightened. “Jules get everyone out through the back. Zinchenko’s coming for me, here.”
Her friend’s mouth opened, but no words came.
“Jules, now.”
Jules blinked. She jumped from her chair and started yelling to the coffee shop’s patrons. Within seconds they were filing through the kitchen.
Scarlett stepped over to the window. “Dax? How about you? You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m on lockdown. I’ve got a cam on the two feds, but so far nothing.”
“Good.” She looked up one side of the street then down the other. “You keep that place bottled up tight until I get there.” A black car turned the corner. “Shit, they’re here. Gotta go.”
Scarlett ended her call and looked around the shop. Jules poked her head out from the kitchen and gave a thumbs up. Scarlett nodded and waved her away.
She crouched behind the booth furthest from the door. Through the distorted reflection on one of the displays, she watched three men enter the shop. Each of the men withdrew compact submachine guns from their coats.
The man in front tapped a small earpiece. “The place is empty, boss. She’s— Yessir. Yessir. Got it.”
He tapped the earpiece again and let his gaze sweep across the shop. “Mr. Zinchenko would like to have a word with you. No tricks or nothin’. Just a little sit-down.”
Scarlett thought about Janson and let her logic succumb to her rage. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she looked again, the three men were all looking away from her.
Her hand reached back for the plasma pistol strapped to her back but she stopped. No reason to give away my ace just yet.
Scarlett rose up and stepped around the booth. She snatched two French presses from the nearest display. She launched herself at the men, hurling the coffee makers ahead of herself.
All three men turned to her, their guns following a second later. They flung their arms up to guard against the flying French presses. The coffee makers flew over their heads and smashed against the far wall.
Scarlett sprinted low to the ground. She slammed into the left-most thug, shoving her hand into his throat. The impact lifted the man off the ground. She brought him back down onto a table.
The man’s eyes were closed. Scarlett didn’t bother to check if he was unconscious or dead.
She slid her other hand down and over his, taking control of the gun. She fired two short bursts. The other two thugs fell to the ground.
The coffee shop was quiet. A stray bullet casing rolled from the table and hit the floor.
Scarlett bolted to the door and yanked it open. Stepping out into the sunlight, she took aim on the black car in the middle of the street. You son of a bitch.
Something whined in Scarlett’s ear. Her eyes flashed wide and she flung herself backward. A brilliant flash of green streaked across her vision. Half blinded, she swung her weapon at her attacker. The two weapons collided, sending them both clattering to the sidewalk.
Scarlett blinked, clearing her vision just in time to see a large fist coming at her. She dodged to the side and jumped back.
Shaking her head, Scarlett took another step back to size up her opponent. Her gaze started at the man’s black boots and followed up his six-foot tall frame. A brown leather jacket covered his form-fitting armor and the bulk of his muscular body. His short blond hair was parted just to the left over his chiseled jaw and penetrating green eyes.
The man rubbed his forearm and looked her up and down. He spoke with an upper-class English accent. “You’re the one causing Mr. Zinchenko so much trouble? I can see why.”
Scarlett smiled. “So, you’re the next lackey he sent to get his ass kicked?”
“My name is Devan. I’m telling you so you’ll know who killed you.”
“Aw. How sweet.” Scarlett’s smile disappeared.
Chapter 35
Mercy
Mercy is the mark of a great man... or woman. It can also get you killed.
* * *
Scarlett looked the man before her up and down. In some ways, Devan was just like Neil, selling his skills to the highest bidder. But, staring into Devan’s eyes, she saw the difference—Devan relished his work, was excited by the kill. He was little more than a sociopath. At least Neil had a heart buried somewhere under his strange sense of duty
Devan grinned. “You have spirit, little girl.”
“You have no idea.” She nodded at the black car on the far side of the street. “He knows I’m going to kill him after this, right?”
“That’s assuming you survive.”
“Betting against me is long odds, and probably not a wise decision.”
Devan smiled. “That’s a bet we’re willing to take, love.”
We? Scarlett felt the hard end of a muzzle tap against the back of her head. Shit. She raised her arms. “So, you’re the distraction?”
A hand reached into her back holster and pulled her gun free. Another English accented voice whispered in her ear. “That’s right, darling. I am the main attraction.”
“And you are?”
“Why, I am Markus, of course. I would have thought you’d heard of us. Maybe your bit about Neil was all bluster.”
The names and accents suddenly registered for Scarlett. Devan and Markus were on the list of hitmen and thieves Neil suggested she avoid. Neil had labeled them as arrogant, psychotic and dangerous.
&nbs
p; “Oh, no. I’ve heard of you. Just didn’t think Zinchenko would go so cheap.”
She had been ready to take on Devan, but dealing with his brother at the same time changed the situation dramatically. Her attack needed to be quick enough to surprise both brothers.
Markus tapped his gun against the back of her head. “Cheeky girl.”
Scarlett twisted to her left and back. She jabbed her elbow into Markus’s gut and her arm exploded in pain. His body armor was like hitting a brick wall.
She reached for her elbow. Markus grabbed a fistful of her hair and threw her aside. Scarlett stumbled across the sidewalk until her forehead bounced off the plate glass window of the coffee shop.
Sparkles danced across her vision. Through bleary eyes, she saw Markus level his gun at her face. Scarlett kicked wildly at the weapon. Her foot connected, sending the gun into the street.
Rage flashed across Markus’s face. He cocked his arm back.
Scarlett, already in motion, dodged under his fist. She planted one foot on the wall and shoved off, driving herself into the man’s chest. Her shoulder erupted with pain from hitting his armor, but she pushed on.
Her momentum pushed Markus back. Her shoulder screamed in pain again as his back slammed into the streetlight pole. A split second later, the pole rang from Markus’s head hitting the steel surface.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Devan with his plasma pistol aimed at her. Scarlett dove for Markus’s gun. She landed hard on the asphalt and rolled, coming up into a crouch with the weapon in hand.
She squeezed the trigger twice, sending one shot into the wall and one into Devan’s shoulder. Devan jerked back and growled. Scarlett glanced at Markus who was shaking his head. When she looked back, Devan’s face was a mask of anger and pain. He raised his weapon and fired.
Devan’s weapon exploded. He screamed and cradled his scorched and bleeding hand.
Scarlett blinked in confusion until she realized the weapon must have been damaged when it hit the ground earlier. She stood and sidestepped to the storefront window. Alternating between Devan and Markus, she kept her weapon leveled. “Now, you two listen to me. I’ve got no beef with either of you. I just want Zinchenko.”
